Leaves from the Vine
by Distant-Moon
Summary: A series of one-shots written for Avatar Week 2015. Day 4: "Power." Katara is at her most powerful during the full moon. She is also at her most vulnerable to the tantalizing pull of the blood in her enemies' veins. True power is having the strength of will to command your own abilities instead of letting those abilities command you. Takes place during The Southern Raiders.
1. Dear

**A/N: Hey, guys! Happy Avatar Appreciation Week! If you guys don't already know, Avatar Appreciation Week is a week-long celebration of the anniversary of Avatar the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra. Each day of the week has it's own prompt starting from February 21st (today as I'm writing this) until February 28th, 2015. This year is actually the 10th anniversary of the Avatar franchise. I really wanted to give these prompts a try, but we'll see how I do.**

**Each chapter will fulfill a single prompt and will be either Avatar the Last Airbender, Legend of Korra, or both. So basically, expect eight chapters of this. The chapters will probably jump around chronologically, and each one can stand on its own as a one-shot or drabble.**

**That being said, enjoy! And Happy Avatar Day!**

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**February 21st, 2015**

**"Dear..."**

A pen touched the paper, barely illuminated by the light of the candle.

_Dear Lu Ten,_

_It is over now. Ba Sing Se is ours. Did you ever even set foot within the walls, or was it all an empty boast in your letters? Somehow I have my doubts after all these years. Didn't you used to brag about how you would be the first Firebender to enter the city? Mother keeps reminding me about those days for some reason. I'm not even going to pretend to understand her sentimental reasoning. She's a fool just like you._

_Well, it doesn't matter now. I have sat in the Earth King's throne, watching his Grand Secretariat kneel before me. You couldn't even tear down a wall in six months while I have dismantled an entire kingdom in a matter of days. Tell me, cousin, how does it feel knowing that I have taken your city away from you? To have snatched my birthright away from you and from Zuko in one single day? What do you think mother is going to say about that?_

_Don't fret. I haven't done anything to Zuzu...yet. I have him at my mercy, but he's safe for the moment. I could easily have the Dai-Li cave in those catacombs whenever I feel like. One snap of my fingers and that would be that. What would you be willing to do to have me keep him alive?  
_

_As if you could do anything to save him now. You're dead._

_Perhaps mother's sentimentalism is contagious. I think I'll keep Zuzu around to play with a little longer. Maybe I'll even take him back to the Fire Nation with me. As if mother would ever let me sleep at night if I killed him so early in our game. That wouldn't be very fair, now would it? _

_For now, the game will continue even though it's clear who the winner is going to be._

_Love,_

_Azula_

A pair of painted lips curved upwards into a predatory smile. Perfectly manicured hands took the letter and neatly folded it with absolute precision. Golden eyes stared down at the parchment as it abruptly erupted into bright blue flames. It took only a few seconds for the last of the paper to crumble away into glowing ashes, but the smoke continued to rise, drifting lazily out the open window.

Azula couldn't help but remember Long-Feng as he groveled at her feet.

_"You have beaten me at my own game," he whispered towards the floor, head bowed in defeat._

_Her eyes had narrowed then, filled with scorn at the idea of being on the same playing field as this commoner. As if a mere peasant could ever offer her a real challenge. Her own peers fell laughably short of her own prowess, so what hope did Long-Feng have? Even compared to someone like Zuko this man was nothing but a worm._

_"Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player."_

She stood finally as the last of the smoke emptied from the room. With an air of calm and poise, the Fire Princess reached out and pulled the window closed with a very audible _SNAP_. She spared a moment to make sure she had locked it as tightly as she could. There was no need to let anything else back in.

"I think it's time to pay Zuzu a visit," she said to herself. "I've kept him waiting around long enough."

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**A/N: Short, sweet, and straight to the point. **

**What did you guys think? Did I do Azula justice? I know she can be a tough character to portray, but I really wanted to challenge myself by trying something different. I was never quite convinced that the Fire Princess was completely unaffected by Lu Ten's death. The kid was scheming even way back when, so it wouldn't surprise me if all of her conquests were just games she carried with her from her childhood.**

**Well, that's _my _headcanon, anyway. Anyway, if you guys liked it, feel free to leave a review. Thanks! **


	2. Beginnings

**A/N: Avatar Week continues on to Day 2. This one's theme is "Beginnings," and I chose to write about Toph and Opal. I always vibed that those two had a unique bond, which was interesting given that Opal was a nonbender (at least when Toph last saw her she was). I wanted to explore that relationship as well as touch upon Toph's decision to leave Zaofu.  
**

**I think it's also interesting when you consider that Opal was in a situation not unlike Toph's when she was a girl. Suyin had good intentions as a mother and wanted Opal to remain within the safety of Zaofu. But Opal needed to leave home and join the Air Nomads in order to reach her full potential, just like how Toph had to run away from home to help end the war, discover Metalbending, and change the world. **

**And now I'm rambling. Sorry. I'll just let you guys read. Enjoy!**

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**February 22st, 2015**

**"Beginnings"**

Old age had not been kind to Toph Beifong.

One might think that earning the title of Greatest Earthbender in the World would have spared her from aching joints and sore limbs, but there was no denying the effect age was having on her body. Like it or not, Toph was starting to slow down. Gone were the days she could go carelessly throwing around a ring full of opponents as though they were rag dolls. Nowadays she was lucky if she could go a whole week without throwing out her back.

It sucked, plain and simple. But what sucked most of all was the fact that Toph didn't have Aang or Sokka to complain to about her aches and pains anymore. Sugar Queen was all the way down at the South Pole, and Sparky (as he had proven on multiple occasions) was not really cut out for life-changing field trips...at least not as much as Toph initially thought.

Even if Katara and Zuko were able to visit, it wasn't quite the same as having her boys around. There was a certain mischievous quality about Aang and Sokka that the others lacked, a certain air about them that made Toph feel...young. And while it was nice living in Zaofu with her daughter's family, there was nothing really present in the city for Toph herself.

In other words, Toph was feeling cooped up again.

"I need a fresh start," she sighed, gazing sightlessly out past the veranda.

Opal Beifong regarded her grandmother with a curious tilt of the head, placing a steaming cup of tea in front of her. She knew by now not to try to hand the old woman anything; that she knew exactly where the cup was.

"Did you say something, Grandma?"

"Just muttering to myself," she replied, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. She looked more disgruntled than usual. "Look at me, moping. Feh. Pretty soon people are going to mistake me for Sparky."

"You mean Lord Zuko?"

"The one and only, Opal. I tell you, I haven't been feeling like my old, butt-kicking self. Not in a long time. I think it's high time I finally did something about it."

Opal watched her with even more interest than before. "What are you going to do?" she asked. Her grandmother was legendary, and the girl knew that without her accomplishments they wouldn't have the polished, idyllic way of life that existed here in Zaofu. To her, it was strange to see Toph acting so doubtful and forlorn when she had done so much in her life.

However, Toph let that question hang in the air. "Opal, you're a pretty smart girl for your age. Tell me something...if you could do anything...go anywhere in the world...where would it be?"

"Huh?"

Opal felt put on the spot by the question. For some reason, it felt like her grandmother was testing her. Though Toph's eyes were blank-as always-and her expression was unusually open. She thought about it for a while, mentally sorting through all of the places she had read about in her books. All the places she would never get to visit herself.

Her mother always said that anything they would ever need was right here in Zaofu...but now that Opal thought about it...

"I've always wanted to see the Air Temples," she commented after a pause. "The pictures in the books really don't do them justice, I bet."

Toph snorted. "Probably not."

"Oh," she blushed. Sometimes it was too easy to forget her grandmother was blind. "Right. Well, anyway, you've probably already been to the Air Temples."

"Meh." The old woman had taken to picking at her toes again. "It was all right, I guess. Not much for me to do, though. Haru, Teo, and the Duke would go off every day to look for secret passages, and having me along spoiled the fun for them. I could find any nook and cranny without even having to try. Anyway, those temples lose their charm after a few weeks. Can't really imagine living there, can you?"

Opal didn't say anything. A rare scowl crossed her face as she looked away, forgetting again that her grandmother couldn't see her expression. It didn't matter, anyway. There was very little that could escape the notice of Toph Beifong. The old woman chuckled, grinning.

"Oh, now don't sigh like that. I suppose you think I'm wrong, don't you?"

"I dunno..." she mumbled, flushing red in embarrassment.

"Hmmmm. Well, I guess you're going to have to see it for yourself, aren't you?"

Opal shrugged. Leave Zaofu? What a strange idea...and yet her heart fluttered with excitement at the idea. That was strange. She never really thought about going away before, but now that it was on her mind...

"If I could go anywhere in the world..."

It wasn't as though Opal was unhappy here. Really, she wasn't. It was such a big, beautiful city; the perfect place for a metalbender to reach his or her full potential. Her mother and brothers were all doing amazing things every day, testing their abilities in ways that were new and exciting.

But what was there for Opal to do? She wasn't a metalbender...or an engineer like her father and Bataar Jr. Opal didn't like to fight or rumble like Wei and Wing. She didn't have a knack for making sculptures like Huan. Opal liked peace and quiet, and she liked to read. She also liked animals and kale wraps, but she could hardly build a career out of that.

The only thing that came to mind were the graceful movements of Kuvira and the rest of her mother's dance troupe. The way they used the metal ribbons to glide in the air...almost as if they were flying. Opal smiled dreamily. What she wouldn't give to be able to do that, too.

_I'm too clumsy to be a dancer_, she reminded herself.

"Grandma, what about you?" Opal asked. "I know you've been to so many different places when you were young. Are there any places you ever wanted to go back and visit?"

_Maybe if Grandma Toph went on a trip, mom would let me go with her. Just for a vacation._

Toph wrinkled her nose. "I'm not interested in going to the same old places I've already been. What I want is someplace new."

"Something new..." Opal put a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Okay, then. So where haven't you been yet?"

The Earthbender shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe I'll just start walking and see where my old feet take me. That sounds like a nice beginning, doesn't it?"

"Maybe...but wouldn't it be safer to plan out where you're going...or how you're getting there? What if something happens? The rest of the world isn't like Zaofu, Grandma. It's..." she stopped, realizing how foolish it was to be lecturing to somebody like her grandmother. "...um...dangerous."

Toph grinned. "Well, I certainly wouldn't be looking for safety where I'm going, that's for damn sure."

"But aren't you happy here?"

There was a pause.

"Grandma...are you really leaving?" Opal asked nervously.

"I think so. Yes."

"How come?"

Toph breathed out a quiet sigh. "That's not an easy thing to answer. I guess it's because I'm too restless to stay behind walls for the rest of my life. I want to get out there and experience something new before I die."

"Does mom know?"

"Seeing as I just decided in the last few minutes, probably not."

Opal bit her lip. It was a bad habit, she knew that, but sometimes it was really hard not to. Her grandmother...her brave, powerful grandma...the quiet glow of eagerness on her face was impossible to miss. It was as though the idea of leaving home didn't scare her at all.

"How can that be?" she blurted out. "How can you just leave home just like that? How can you be so..." she tried to say reckless, but a different word came out instead. "...fearless?"

Toph moved her shoulders backs, stretching gingerly. She had been sitting in the same spot for too long and could feel her muscles cramping up. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Opal clenched her hands into fists, frustrated with herself. There was something important she needed to know right now and she didn't know how to ask it. If she didn't figure it out, her grandmother would leave and take her secrets with her. Opal couldn't let that happen. This could be her only chance to...to...

This could be her _only chance_.

Toph sat there in silence, waiting and listening. When Opal's tongue fell silent, the blind Earthbender chose to listen to her heartbeat instead. The young girl was uncharacteristically riled up about this. Toph sensed a heavy something in the air, an aura of desperation hovering around Opal. The girl's shoulders were slumped and she seemed about to cry judging by her rapid breathing.

"Hey, now," she said. "None of that. You know I'll see you again, kid. It's not like I'm leaving to get away from you or your brothers. This isn't forever."

Opal timidly looked at her grandmother through her rapidly forming tears. She sniffled.

"Oh, come on, Opal. I didn't mean to upset you." Toph frowned. This sort of mushy business was way out of her comfort zone, even when it came to her own grandchildren. "I know you think the world is big and scary outside of Zaofu, but the world is a whole lot _bigger_ than Zaofu, too. Sometimes you have to go your own way...follow your own path."

"I...I wish I could be more like you, Grandma." Opal sounded miserable. "But I'm not brave or talented like the others. I'm not even an Earthbender. How am I supposed to find my own path when I don't even know where to start?"

"Do you think I spent my entire childhood planning for the day the Avatar would show up on my doorstep and ask me to be his Earthbending teacher? Do you think I planned on becoming chief of police in Republic City? Or having kids?"

"Um..."

"Listen, Opal. A lot of the best things in life happen when you least expect them. Opportunities may arise that you never imagined for yourself. That's one of the things that makes life so darn great."

Toph rose slowly, moving her right foot along the bare earth. Opal watched as her grandmother stared vacantly, searching with the one sense she had that worked better than any pair of eyes. Her toes clenched and unclenched as the elderly Earthbender reached out with her spirit before a satisfied smile crossed her face. She stomped her foot, causing a single dirty clod of hardened soil to shoot out of the ground.

It bounced and rolled to a stop at Opal's feet. She started to reach for it, but hesitated.

"Take it," said Toph.

Her fingers closed around the dirt clod. She frowned at it, not understanding. She turned it over in her hands, examining it gingerly from all sides.

"Do you know how I first learned how to Metalbend?" her grandmother asked.

Opal turned her gaze to her grandmother. "I've heard the story. You were captured by bounty hunters and were trapped inside a metal box, right? But then you busted out and escaped."

"Hmmmph. Not without giving those goons a taste of their own medicine." Toph folded her arms and scowled. "I'm sure that you already heard this at some point or another, living here in Zaofu, but metal is just polished and refined earth. It all starts with this."

"Maybe if you're an Earthbender it does..."

"Hey! Everything comes from the earth. Even a nonbender could stand to learn a thing or two from it." Her brow smoothed out, pulling the clod of dirt out of Opal's hand with her bending. She held it in the air for the girl to see. "Beginnings are always rough and messy. The future only takes shape if you're willing to get your hands dirty and dig deep."

Toph squeezed her hand into a fist. The dirt clod shattered, raining particles of rock and soil in all directions. Opal squeaked and shielded her face. "Grandma!"

"Oh, relax. A little dirt isn't going to kill you."

The nonbender reluctantly lowered her arms. Then she saw what remained of the dirt clod and gasped. Hovering in the air was a glistening opal, sparkling a myriad of colors in the light. Opal held her breath as the gem floated towards her. A bright smile emerged as she reached out and grasped the beautiful stone.

"I assume you like what you found," said Toph with a knowing smile.

"It's so gorgeous, Grandma."

"Hmmm. Just feels like another rock to me...but that's never a bad thing. I guess it's true when they say beauty takes a lot of different shapes." The Earthbender approached her granddaughter, clasping her by the shoulder. "If you're too afraid to take a chance by taking the first step, you'll never be able to find that pretty stone hiding underneath."

Opal's face fell. "But...not every clod of dirt has a gem hiding in it. What if my dirt clod only has dirt in it?"

"And just what's wrong with dirt, young lady? Without it, you wouldn't be able to grow food and I wouldn't be able to see or bend. The whole world relies on the earth each and every day. If you think it's just dirt, then you aren't seeing it the right way." Toph blew out an annoyed sigh. "Besides, if you don't like the dirt clod you're holding, just pick up another one. Start again. Nobody's stopping you."

"Oh."

Toph's expression softened. "You're a good kid, Opal. Cheerful, bright, and tougher than you think you are. I'm sure when you'll do just fine when you take your first step." She turned back towards the distant horizon. "As for me, you don't need to worry. So long as I'm connected to the earth, I'll always been watching out for you. That goes for your mother and brothers, too."

Opal breathed out a sigh of relief, clutching the gem close to her chest. The stone felt so perfect in her small hands. She closed her eyes and made a wish on the opal, hoping that one day she could find the courage to find her own beginning. Just like Grandma Toph.

"I'm going to miss you, Grandma."

Toph didn't skip a beat as she burst out laughing. "I'm going to miss you, too, badgermole, but I'm not leaving right now. I still haven't finished my tea yet."

The girl smiled sheepishly. "Right."

At least she still had a little more time to spend with her grandmother. Opal was still a little sad to think about Toph leaving, but it wasn't nearly as horrible of an idea as it was earlier. Somehow, she felt a tingle of excitement for the older woman, and even a little envious. Maybe that was one of the reasons her grandmother was such an indomitable person. She never saw endings and failures; she only saw untapped potential and new beginnings. Nothing frightened her because it was all exciting and new.

Exciting and new, messy and uncertain, that's what all beginnings were. Opal hoped she would find her own beginning soon.

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**A/N: Two prompts down, six more to go. Let's see if I can continue to post on schedule. It's really challenging for me to update so frequently (as anyone who is reading my ongoing fic "Happy Endings" will know, it often takes me a long time to get a polished chapter ready to post). In a way, my own perfectionism is what delays things for me, and I really need to learn to let go and just write. Firing out these writing prompts might just help me overcome that. At least, that's what I hope.  
**

**Anyway, what did you guys think? This was a little longer than I expected, but I like how it turned out. Either way, thanks for reading, and if you want to take the time to do so, please feel free to review! Thanks!**


	3. Mirror

**A/N: Okay, so I went with a more obvious interpretation for the next prompt, "Mirror." Is anybody really surprised I went with Eska and Desna? Anybody? Fine, so I'm not winning any originality points...but hopefully I put a unique spin on their portrayal. Anyway, I've always kind of wondered how Eska got away with being a female Waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe. Here's what I think happened.  
**

**Enjoy!**

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**February 23rd, 2015**

**"Mirror"**

It was a game they played sometimes. Eska and Desna faced each other, silent and unblinking. The pool of water lay between then, pristine and clear, reflecting their expectant faces back up at them.

"You take one side and I'll take the other."

"Agreed."

They only had a few more hours to get it right. The sun would be rising soon, and then the attendants would come for them. They needed to have this memorized down to the most minute detail. There was little need for words between the twins now. During moments like this, they were united, mind and body.

The prince and princess moved in tandem, raising their arms and pulling the unseen current of chi with their combined strength. The water snaked into the air, circling around and following the flowing and graceful sway of their arms. Though they didn't speak, there was no confusion on where the water was meant to go.

Their eyes locked from opposite sides of the pool. There was a hint of a smirk on Eska's lips; Desna followed suit half a second later. Mischief hung in the air between them as the water continued to circle round and round. They watched and waited for each other to attempt breaking the symmetry of their bending.

However, before they could really test each other's limits, there was a disturbance from the mouth of the hallway.

"Children?" It was their mother. "Why are you not in your beds?"

Their expressions dulled into something neutral as they ended their game, though their hearts were stuttering out a more frantic rhythm. Slowly, they brought the water whip through one more cycle around them before lowering it passively back into the pool. Their eyes met again in consternation; they were certain they had been quiet and it was inconceivable that they had been caught. Eska's brow furrowed slightly and Desna shrugged in reply.

"Were you both Waterbending again?"

They hesitated for a beat before turning towards her in unison. "Good morning, mother," they replied.

The silence was loaded as the woman groaned into her hands. She looked exhausted, a detail that made the siblings steal glances towards one another. Their mother must have been up for hours looking for them, and an unspoken moment of guilt passed between them. The worry and frustration in her eyes made them both step back defensively, moving closer together.

"This is forbidden. Our tribes ways do not allow for women to learn combative Waterbending, which you both know. If your father were to find out..."

But father probably would never find out. Between his duties leading the tribe and his own private studies into the ways of spirits, Desna and Eska rarely saw him anymore. They both stared attentively at their anxious mother, waiting for her to put words to her thoughts.

"Tomorrow, Eska, you will begin your lessons in healing," she finally sighed. "Desna, you will be learning your beginning forms under Master Amaruq. And if either of you are too tired from your late night stroll to pay attention, it will only be your own faults."

The twins didn't react. They both already knew the beginner forms by heart and had the more advanced scrolls stowed away in their packs. It was not hard to get access to them. Hardly anyone paid Eska and Desna any mind under normal circumstances, so it didn't surprise them that no one noticed them slipping into father's study and coming out with the scrolls.

Most of the time they only had each other and those dusty old scrolls.

"It is time both of you started putting your minds to your future duties," their mother continued to lecture. "Desna, you need to focus on preparing to become our chieftain one day," she said, pausing to nod in Eska's direction. Then she turned to Desna. "And Eska,I don't ever want to catch you meddling in forbidden forms again. No man wants such an aggressive woman for a wife. You'll scare away any suitor that comes near you if you keep this up."

Neither sibling appeared the least bit perturbed that she had gotten them mixed up again. Instead, the corners of their mouths curved upwards in a sphinx-like manner. "Yes, mother," they replied.

She hesitated, puzzled by their complacency. "Very well. Then, back to bed."

She gestured back down the passage from whence she came, leading back to the interior of the palace. Without further prompting, the twins walked past her, side by side. Their smiles only grew wider, something that wasn't missed by their flustered and well-intentioned mother. However, there was very little she could do about their silent rebellion, and before she could even decide if it was a rebellion at all the twins had completely left her sight.

Their postures were slouched from several nights of craning their necks to peruse the illustrations in their scrolls; however, at that moment they felt like they had won a battle of wills, and that made them feel rather tall.

"Mother is misguided if she thinks she can pawn me off to some stranger," said Eska quietly. "If we could convince father of our combined talent, maybe he could be convinced to let me...to let us continue our studies together."

Desna didn't comment. As they passed by a window, they found themselves bathed in the pearlescent glow of the full moon. Together, they peered outside and spied the tiny form of their father meditating in the spirit oasis. Was it really a good idea to place their hopes in someone who was never around? After all, if it was one thing the twins knew about their father, it was that he placed a lot of value on _traditions_. The ways of their tribe have existed for thousands of years, and those traditions demanded that the siblings go their separate ways.

Perhaps there was a much simpler solution for them.

"There is nothing to fear. They cannot forbid you from bending if they cannot tell us apart," he finally to his sister.

She grinned. "And if they cannot tell us apart, we'll have to remain together."

Clandestinely, they clasped hands under the long sleeves of their royal robes. Their expressions were a perfect mirror of one another...satisfied and triumphant.

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**A/N: Just to clarify, totally going with a theme of codependency in this one-shot. The twins have been together their whole lives, and in the show we rarely saw them separated. Bolin had accepted them as a package deal when he asked Eska to stay with him in Republic City, and the creators themselves even poked fun at twins' relationship in Book 4 when they were "accidentally" booked in the same hotel room with only one bed. Did anyone else get the vibe that Eska was lying when she told the clerk that Desna would sleep in the tub?  
**

**No, I don't think their relationship is romantic. But they definitely display a remarkable and almost troubling level of codependency, and I wanted to explore that with this prompt. What lengths are Eska and Desna willing to go to in order to remain together? Their unity is their greatest weapon against the rigid traditions of their tribe. Incidentally, I got the idea for this from the TV Tropes Legend of Korra Fridge Brilliance article. At one point, it questioned how Eska was allowed to master Waterbending, and speculated that (either times had really changed since Katara swept through the Northern Water Tribe, or) they just couldn't tell Eska and Desna apart, so they just shrugged and trained them both.**

**It's my personal headcanon that this was entirely intentional on the twins part. Perhaps that even explains why they seem to go out of their way to be creepy and intimidating. It keeps other people away, and they don't have to worry about anyone coming between them. Only once they hit their teens, they forgot how to turn the creepy off.**

**Okay, enough said. If you guys liked, leave a review. I'm curious to see what you guys think of these, but no pressure. There's probably a really important thing you should be doing, anyway. Shame on you for procrastinating on that important thing, reader. Shame on you.**


	4. Power

**A/N: Ah, "Power." This one is special. I hope you guys can see what I mean. In case this isn't readily apparent, though, this is a Katara-themed prompt that takes place during the Southern Raiders.  
**

**Enjoy!**

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**February 24th, 2015**

**"Power"**

During the full moon, Waterbenders are at the height of their power. Katara of the Southern Water Tribe was no exception to this rule. Even though the sun was starting to rise, she could still feel the pull of the moon on her body and on her spirit. The ocean stretched out below her, the swell of chi calling out to her in a siren's song. The temptation to bend caused Katara's fingers to close tighter around Appa's reins.

Behind her in the saddle, Zuko was watching her. She could feel his eyes on the back of her head, but Katara kept her gaze hardened on the reddening horizon, her mind focused and sharp.

This was it. After all these years, she was finally going to face him again. Her mother's killer. Katara's heart drummed out a steady rhythm of anticipation as she contemplated the months she spent traveling with Aang and how they changed her. There was no going back to the scared, naïve child she had been when the Southern Raiders came to her village. She would never be that child again.

Every battle, every chase, every tear she shed on her journey drove the uncertainty and weakness from her body. This was right, Katara was sure of it. What else could it be but justice?

Still, part of her was troubled as the image of Aang's sad and worried expression rose to her mind's eye. She was also uncomfortable by the way Zuko was looking at her now, knowing it was because he had witnessed her bloodbending the captain like a broken marionette. She tried to shake off the feeling. After all, why should she care what Zuko thought about her bloodbending? As if he could possibly understand what she was going through right now. He was just another Firebender…and all Firebenders were the same inside.

_"Katara, you sound like Jet," _Aang's voice whispered in her memory, causing her to wince.

What if he was right? What if this wasn't about justice, but revenge? Then again, did it matter? Katara wasn't out to take innocent lives. Only one life of one very guilty man. She had set out to find him and she wasn't going back until she had eliminated him. No one else had to be hurt...and yet...

And yet she still remembered how the Southern Raiders Commander's blood felt as it flowed through his veins. She had felt his heart beating like a frightened rabbit's; she could feel it as if it lay beating in the palm of her hands. The way she had forced him to move, forced him to bend and kneel at her feet...the memory was horrifying and intoxicating at the same time. It should have made her feel powerful, knowing she could have so much control over her enemy. Instead, it made her feel queasy with dread.

An entirely different memory rose to the surface.

_"Once you perfect this technique, you can control anything and anyone," _Hama's voice whispered in Katara's ear. Her shoulders tensed, as if the old woman really was breathing over her shoulder right at that moment. _"The choice is not yours. The power exists. And it's your duty to use the gifts you've been given to win this war.__"_

That's right. Katara had the power to end this, to make sure Yon Rha never destroyed another family the way he had destroyed hers.

Power. Control. She had both at her fingertips...but at the same time, she felt like a pebble tossed in a tempest. Her emotions kept bouncing around between anger and doubt; longing and shame; hope and despair. Like Hama had promised, she couldn't choose between these feelings. They all assaulted her at once as they flew closer and closer to the island where Yon Rha supposedly lived. The only way she was ever going to feel peace inside is if she did the right thing and took this man's life. She imagined the man's heart beating at her mercy...could easily imagine what it would be like to crush it in her bending grip.

_I don't know if I want that kind of power._

_"Katara, they tried to wipe us out, our entire culture, your mother!"_ Hama's voice yelled in her thoughts. _"We're the last two Waterbenders of the Southern Tribe. We have to fight these people whenever we can, wherever they are, with any means necessary!"  
_

She felt sick.

"Hey," said Zuko quietly, pulling her out of her dark thoughts. "Are you...doing okay?"

Katara didn't even turn around to look at him. She forced her shoulders to relax, wanting to appear in control even though she felt like she was shattering inside. Zuko was the enemy, too, but here he was asking if she was okay. Was he having second thoughts about this mission, too? Would he take the first opportunity he had to betray her again? Up until now he appeared to be supportive of her goals...but for all she knew that was all an act.

Then again, without Zuko she never would have been able to get this far. Without Zuko she never would have even learned the name of her mother's killer. In exchange for that, she decided that she could afford to give him the benefit of the doubt for once. Just this once. After all, she was powerful in ways a Firebender would never be. And if Zuko ever made the mistake of double-crossing her again...

...well...he would regret it.

"Didn't I tell you earlier?" she said in a subdued voice. "I'm fine."

She could do this. She could avenge her mother. She was strong now, and it was easy for the strong to kill.

* * *

Katara stared at her reflection rippling beneath the docks. Absently, she paddled the ocean with the tips of her toes, making tiny rivulets where her shoes brushed against the water. Her whole world right now felt as distorted as her own face looked. She felt like she didn't know herself nearly as well as she thought she did. How had her resolve broken so completely in a matter of minutes of confronting Yon Rha?

She had him. He had been helpless and cowering on the ground. She had made him look her dead in the eyes until he recognized her...and he had. There was no conceivable doubt that this was the man who had taken her mother away. There was no excuse for sparing him the way she had.

What had she told Zuko earlier? That she wasn't the helpless little girl she had been when the Southern Raiders first came?

She had to close her eyes in shame. Her reflection was too blurry and warped for her to make out anymore. The ocean continued to surge around the docks as the tide swelled and retreated, and Katara could still feel its tantalizing pull. She almost wished she could let the current whisk her out to sea. Anything to calm the storm raging inside of her, to silence the questions that wouldn't stop screaming in her mind. Why hadn't she killed Yon Rha when she had the chance? Why wasn't she strong enough to follow through with it? Didn't she love her mother enough to avenge her? Why did it still haunt her to see the emptiness in Yon Rha's eyes?

She could hear footsteps approaching on the dock behind her.

"Katara? Are you okay?"

Aang. She shrank at the sound of his voice, feeling tainted and unworthy of his concern.

"I'm doing fine," she repeated, telling him the same thing she had told Zuko earlier...back when things still seemed so clear and she still trusted herself not to be weak.

How had she felt so powerful last night only to feel like such a coward now that she was back in Aang's presence? She couldn't even bring herself to open her eyes, too afraid to look at her own reflection, let alone at the monk's passive grey eyes. Her mind was still in a whirlwind, feeling like a weakling and a traitor...except she couldn't figure out who she had betrayed more. Aang for what she had come so close to doing...for what she _had already _done while hunting Yon Rha? Or her mother for not being strong enough to deal the final blow?

"Zuko told me what you did. Or what you didn't do, I guess. I'm proud of you."

Katara felt like she had been punched in the stomach.

"I wanted to do it," she confessed, the words coming out faster than she could keep them in. Her feelings were being laid bare, gushing out in a flood. "I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't." Slowly, she opened her eyes, forcing herself to look at herself once again. "I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or because I'm strong enough not to."

She wanted Aang to understand. _Needed _him to understand.

"You did the right thing," he reassured her. "Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing."

If that was true, then this feeling would never go away. If forgiving Yon Rha was what she needed to do to make all of this stop hurting, to give her answers and a peace of mind...Katara wasn't sure she could ever do it. She certainly couldn't do it now, not even with Aang watching her with such hopeful, expectant eyes. She felt her stomach squirming in guilt, realizing how worried he had been about her since before she left. Even now after seeing how fervently she could nurse such a violent grudge, Aang was still here waiting for her to come back. There wasn't a trace of judgment in his voice.

However, at the same time, anger continued to coil away in her gut like a vicious rat viper. She stood abruptly.

"But I didn't forgive him," she said. "I'll never forgive him."

Katara should have known she would never truly be strong enough. In the end, she didn't have the power to kill Yon Rha, nor did she have the power to forgive him. Reluctant mercy was the most she could spare for that wretched excuse of a man, and even now she was being tossed around in the aftermath of that tidal wave of a decision.

She spotted Zuko standing behind Aang, watching their exchange with an indecipherable expression on his face. The anger dissolved the longer her gaze met his, remembering how unshakably he had followed her for the past few days. Not only had Zuko given her the means to attempt to find some closure, but he had taken her side over his own people's. He didn't let monsters like the Southern Raiders or Yon Rha go unanswered for their crimes, backed her up no matter how questionable her decisions had been. Not even the sight of her bloodbending had turned him against her.

Zuko had been a true friend, loyal and honest and supportive. It was time Katara accepted that.

"But I am ready to forgive you," she said to him, smiling tentatively.

He opened his arms to her, accepting her unspoken apology for weeks of hostility and misplaced anger. Katara stepped into his embrace and tried to calm her heart's stammering pace. Gratitude for having people like Aang and Zuko in her life bubbled up in her chest, driving the heavy chill from her body. She breathed and squeezed Zuko tightly, wishing she could take back all the hurtful things she said to him...at the very least after he had already proven himself by rescuing her father from the Boiling Rock. Caving in to her anger these past several weeks, those had been moments of weakness, too.

She may not be strong enough to kill Yon Rha or forget what he did to her, but at least she was strong enough to forgive Zuko. For now, that was all the strength she needed.

After all, there were certain kinds of power that she didn't want to have. And there were certain powers she hoped she would never need to have. It was one thing to have the ability to kill…but it was another to have the strength of will to control that ability instead of letting it control her.

In that regard, Katara hoped she would always be strong enough.

* * *

**A/N: True power is having the strength of will to command your own abilities instead of letting those abilities command you.  
**


End file.
